Vancouver virtual life sciences company Novelogics Biotechnology Inc. has partnered with the Centre for Drug Research and Development (CDRD) to work on an innovative cancer treatment.
Novelogics, which focuses on using the immune system to eliminate tumours in ways that have fewer side effects than traditional methods, has developed a technology that involves the discovery and development of antibodies that suppress cancer in patients. The partnership will see the CDRD analyzing the technology and moving it toward a clinical trial, which the company said could happen as soon as 2019. So far, preliminary evidence has shown that the innovation can be used to inhibit prostate cancer tumours.
“Unlike other immunotherapies that function by modulating, inhibiting or blocking targets, our innovative drug works by intercepting,” said Novelogics president and chief scientific officer Wayne Cheney.
“This is a new way of limiting the immune suppressive effects of the drug target, which offers a huge opportunity to make a difference in the fight against cancer.”
Ismael Samudio, the head of biologics for the CDRD, said the partnership will allow the centre to apply its expertise to a technology that he said has promising potential.
“By combining our expertise and specialized infrastructure, we aim to provide critical data to advance Novelogics’ technology and help bring new therapeutic treatments to market,” Samudio said.
Novelogics said the organizations will be picking a candidate antibody this year, with all development activities to follow.
@EmmaHampelBIV
